『장인법』의 제정배경

The background to the Statute of Artificers -Concentrated on the social and economic background-

Despite many studies of the Statute of Artificers, there are not the systematic and comprehensive studies of the background, nucleus, content, intention and the problems of enforcement of the statute of Artificers, based on the result of recent study of the social and ecocnomic conditions in the sixteenth century, With the new comprehension of the background and nucleus in the enactment of the statute of Artificers, we can understand the content and intentions newly, Throughout this comprehensive understanding, we can also grasp the problems of enforcement of the statute of Artificers. For the backgrounds in the enactment of the statute of Artificers, we can mention the followings : 1) the transition of population, price, rent, and wage in the sixteenth century 2) the development of the rural industry and the crisis of the traditional order and division of labour 3) the aggravation of the social and economic conditions in the 1550 s. Landowners, merchants and industrialists could make profits in the transition of population-price-rent-wage in the sixteenth century. As the traditional order of division of labour collapsed because of the transition of population-price-rent-wage in the sixteenth century, they confronted the crisis that they could make less profits and economic disorder. Besides, the dispute in succession to the throne, the antagonism of one religion against another, uprisings in the rural and urban community and foreign war had been occurred. In the 1550s, the depression of woolen cloth s export, the bad harvest were taken place. As a result, the derangement of economic order was promoted as the traditional order of division of labour was collapsed and the production conditions were aggravated. By this, Elizabeth I and the group of parliament faced the crisis. It is well known that particularly both the 1550 s and 1590 s were particularly the era of the social and economic crisis during the sixteenth century.